


Love is Blue

by MirrorMystic



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, F/F, F/M, Gen, Grandcypher Co-Captains AU, Teen Romance, Teenage Dorks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-14 19:46:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18483139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MirrorMystic/pseuds/MirrorMystic
Summary: Love is hard, when you’re young, and you and your best friend both have a crush on the same girl. But it’s Lyria’s birthday, and Gran and Djeeta are determined to give their favorite amnesiac a day she’ll never forget-- with a little help from their friends.





	Love is Blue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lyrecho](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrecho/gifts).



> For Echo, who got me into GBF and got me invested in these dorks. I love this crew, and I hope you will, too. Enjoy the read!

~*~ _  
_ _  
_ It was a beautiful day aboard the Grandcypher. The sun was shining. The birds were singing. The sky was as vast, blue, and brimming with adventure as it had ever been. And nestled in that endlessly blue sky, tucked away amid the clouds, was the sleepy little hamlet of Zinkenstill, the place where it all began.   
  
Lyria lifted her hands above her head and stretched, taking in a deep breath of the crisp spring air. She blew it out in a satisfied sigh and clapped her hands down on the balcony rail.   
  
“This is it,” Lyria beamed, bouncing on her heels. “Today’s the day!”   
  
Lyria ran her fingers through her hair, curling in the breeze. A sound, almost like wind chimes, tinkled behind her. She turned, her smile somehow growing even brighter.   
  
There was a girl standing on the deck of the Grandcypher, basking in the brilliant sunlight with her arms outstretched. She met Lyria’s eyes and let out a curious, if drowsy, chime.   
  
“Good morning, Yggy!” Lyria chirped. “Are you getting enough sun?”   
  
Yggdrasil nodded. Lyria reached up and gave her a pat on the head, careful not to touch the sprout growing out of her scalp. Yggdrasil smiled and nuzzled Lyria’s hand.   
  
“Morning, girls,” called a voice.   
  
“Good morning!” Lyria said brightly. Yggdrasil chimed happily.   
  
Rosetta emerged from belowdecks with a large glass of water and a thimble-glass of something a bit stronger. Yggdrasil gratefully accepted the larger glass, every movement slow and deliberate as if she wasn’t used to moving much at all.   
  
“Lyria, you’re up early,” Rosetta teased.   
  
“It’s a special day,” Lyria grinned. “I don’t want to miss it!”   
  
“Well, why don’t you go find your partners in crime and then come on down to the galley for a little treat, huh?” Rosetta cooed.   
  
“I will!” Lyria chirped, and then took off down the deck like a blue-tailed comet.   
  
Rosetta watched her go with a maternal fondness, smiling warmly all the while. Beside her, Yggdrasil painstakingly lifted her glass of water and poured it over her head.   
  
Rosetta blinked. Yggdrasil chimed. Rosetta sighed, and shook her head.   
  
“...Oh, dear,” Rosetta said wearily, “you don’t have to drink like a _tree_ …”   
  
~*~   
  
There was just something magical about mornings aboard the Grandcypher. No matter how bright and beautiful it was outside, there was a certain tranquility down belowdecks. There was a certain stillness, a serenity, as if the whole world were holding its breath.   
  
That bit of peace and quiet just before dawn was Djeeta’s favorite time of day. It was a moment to reflect, a moment to savor. To look around you and really appreciate the little details you take for granted every day. Like, there was Gran, the covers up to his ears, his hair so frazzled it made Djeeta’s own bedhead look tame. There was Vyrn, coiled up like a cat on their bedside table. There was the sunlight, slanting in through the cabin window and highlighting the loops and whorls of the wooden floorboards. There was the sound of footsteps racing down the hall--   
  
The door burst open with a bang that snapped Vyrn awake and made him fall off his perch with a yelp. Djeeta just smiled, and set her hairbrush aside.   
  
“Wake up!” Lyria announced, barging right in. “Wake up, wake up, wake up!”   
  
Djeeta turned away from her vanity just in time for Lyria to crash into her chest in a gleeful hug. Djeeta stumbled back into the dresser, looping her arms around Lyria’s shoulders. Lyria beamed up at her, grinning from ear to ear.   
  
“Hey there, birthday girl,” Djeeta said sweetly. “I am… already awake.”   
  
“Which means I’m already halfway done!” Lyria beamed. She gave Djeeta one more squeeze before making her way over to Gran’s bed.   
  
Gran and Djeeta shared a lot of things. A cabin, co-captaincy of the crew of the Grandcypher, clothes, weapons… even a bed, on occasion, though they’d insist that’s only because they’ve “known each other all our lives, so you don’t have to make it _weird_ , **_Io_ ** ”. But for all the things Gran and Djeeta had in common, their sleep schedule wasn’t one of them.   
  
Lyria unceremoniously flopped onto Gran’s bed and started shaking him.   
  
“Gran! Hey! Wake up already!”   
  
Gran was currently a shapeless lump with his hair poking out from under the covers. He stirred slightly, groaning.   
  
“...Are we under attack…?” he managed.   
  
“...well… no,” Lyria admitted.   
  
Gran grunted and rolled over. Lyria pouted in dismay.   
  
“Hey! Get up! Get! Up!” Lyria cried, thumping him with her fists. Djeeta snorted.   
  
“Don’t worry, I’ve got him,” Djeeta said, pulling a reluctant Lyria off of Gran’s bed.   
  
She stretched, lifted her hands in front of her and cracked her knuckles. Then she grabbed two fistfuls of Gran’s bedsheets and yanked them right out from under him.   
  
“Ow!” Gran yelped as he thudded onto the floorboards.   
  
“You big baby,” Djeeta teased.   
  
Gran tossed his blanket off and reached for the string of magicked glass beads around his wrist. One of the beads shone with violet light as he pinched it between his fingers. An instant later, his sleepwear had vanished, replaced by a navy blue tunic and a dark, hooded robe.   
  
As handy as Sierokarte’s Class Bracelet (patent pending) was, it still didn’t do a thing to fix Gran’s hair. He ran his fingers through his tousled mop, and shrugged.   
  
“C’mon, Dee,” Gran complained. “Why can’t I ever wake up to someone _cute_ ?”   
  
“Good morning!” Lyria chirped, poking her head over the side of Gran’s bed.   
  
Gran grinned, reaching up and smoothing Lyria’s hair against her scalp. A single strand of sky-blue hair stubbornly refused to stay down.   
  
“Hey, you,” Gran said, with surprising tenderness.   
  
“Hey, me,” Lyria grinned. She reached out and ruffled Gran’s hair even further. “I think your hair needs more work than mine.”   
  
“ _I_ never need to worry about that,” Vyrn boasted.   
  
“Come on, let’s get moving already,” Djeeta said.   
  
“You’re not even dressed yet,” Gran protested.   
  
Djeeta rolled her eyes, and touched a bead on her own bracelet. Her oversized pink nightshirt disappeared in a bloom of light, becoming an elegant white coat trimmed with red. Compared to Gran’s own ensemble, the two of them were like night and day.   
  
“Let’s go, guys,” Djeeta urged, smiling. “Everyone’s waiting!”   
  
~*~   
  
“Happy birthday, Lyria!”   
  
Lyria squealed in delight as her friends cheered and clapped her on the back. The whole crew of the Grandcypher was stuffed into the Grandcypher’s galley and crowded around her table. Lyria felt like her heart was fit to burst. The air was so full of love you could feel it-- or, then again, that could just have been the collective body heat of over three dozen people crammed in a room.   
  
“Make a wish,” Katalina said in her ear, her voice all-but-lost to the chattering crowd. Lyria glanced to Gran and Djeeta sitting beside her, before closing her eyes, making a wish, and blowing out the candle. The crew erupted into a fresh round of cheers.   
  
“We’re already off to a great start,” Lyria beamed, as Katalina reached over her and carefully pulled the candle out from a stack of pancakes. “What a day! Cake for breakfast!”   
  
“Hell yeah!” Lowain crowed from somewhere in the crowd. “And there’s more where that came from. We got cake for lunch, cake for dinner, and you wanna guess what we got for dessert?”   
  
Lyria giggled. “More cake?”   
  
“You better believe it, missy!”   
  
“How old are you now, dearie?” Rosetta cooed.   
  
“I don’t know!” Lyria chirped. “Honestly, I don’t even know if today’s my actual birthday.”   
  
Lyria looped her arms around Gran and Djeeta and pulled them close.   
  
“But! It’s the day Katalina got me out of imperial custody, and the day I met my best friends in the whole world, so… that’s close enough for me.”   
  
Gran and Djeeta whined, embarrassed, and snatched their gazes away from Lyria, whose smile was downright blinding.   
  
“Well, enjoy your breakfast, Lyria, because today’s just getting started,” Vyrn announced. “I’m taking you and Katalina on a tour of the whole island!”   
  
“Oh, I’m part of this, am I?” Katalina wondered.   
  
“Yeah!” Lyria beamed. “It wouldn’t be my special day without you!”   
  
Katalina gasped, and laid a fond hand in Lyria’s hair. Lyria giggled.   
  
“You didn’t get to really enjoy the place last time,” Vyrn explained. “You can’t see the sights when we’re busy looking up ancient magical secrets or whatever! But today’s gonna be different. Today, you’re gonna see exactly what this island’s got in store!”   
  
“And when you get back,” Rackam cut in, “that’s when the _real_ fun begins.”   
  
“Party at our place!” Gran and Djeeta announced. The crew cheered.   
  
“I’ve got fireworks!” Io squealed.   
  
“I’ve got the grill,” Eugen chuckled.   
  
“I’ve got… _refreshments_ ,” Rosetta mused, waggling her eyebrows. Yggdrasil chimed happily beside her.   
  
“Believe me, Lyria,” Vira smiled, “we’ve spared no expense. We’ve planned quite the night.”   
  
“For you, Lyria?” Katalina cooed. “We’d give you the world.”   
  
“You guys…!” Lyria cried. “You guys are the _best!_ ”   
  
After a lengthy round of headpats and well-wishes, the crew of the Grandcypher eventually dispersed-- the inner circle to begin preparations for Lyria’s big birthday bash, and the others to simply enjoy a relaxing day in Zinkenstill, well apart from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the Skydom.   
  
It wasn’t long after Lyria gobbled down her pancakes that she was already dreaming of the cake-cakes to come. But as Vyrn quickly reminded her, she had things to see and places to be, so soon afterward she was disappearing down the skydock with Vyrn at her shoulder and Katalina in tow, waving as if her life depended on it. Gran and Djeeta waved back from the top of the Grandcypher’s boarding ramp, fond, dopey smiles on their faces.   
  
“Her arm’s gonna fall out, waving like that,” Gran teased.   
  
“She sure is full of energy,” Djeeta said. “She’s just like me.”   
  
“Cuter, maybe.”   
  
Djeeta thumped him. He shrugged her off, laughing.   
  
Together, they watched Lyria’s sky-blue hair disappear into the woods of Zinkenstill. The island was as quiet and as peaceful as ever, as if the past three years had gone by completely unnoticed. An intimate quiet settled between the two lifelong friends.   
  
“...So,” Djeeta began, “are you gonna tell her?”   
  
Gran blinked. “What? Today? No.”   
  
Djeeta shrugged. “Why not?”   
  
“The timing isn't right,” he protested. “Today’s her day. I’m not gonna turn tonight sour by making things weird between us.”   
  
“Hm. Okay!” Djeeta gave him a pat on the arm. She smiled. “Then _I_ will.”   
  
Gran made a face. “What? No! You don’t get to tell her first!”   
  
“Well I’m not gonna wait for _you_ !” Djeeta huffed. “You’re just worried that she’ll say yes to _me_ .”   
  
“I’m not _worried_ ,” Gran scoffed. “I just want it to be fair.”   
  
Djeeta threw her hands up. “What do you want us to do? Tell her at the same time?”   
  
A pause. “...Maybe?”   
  
Djeeta rolled her eyes. “Okay, tell you what: I’ll Tetra-Elements you for it.”   
  
“You’re on,” Gran said. “Winner confesses to Lyria first.”   
  
“Or gets turned down first,” Djeeta smiled. She lifted up her hand, colored wisps of elemental magic gathering at her fingertips. She took a deep breath, and looked Gran in the eyes.   
  
“...Okay,” they said together. “On ‘air’. Water, Earth, Fire, Air!”   
  
A tiny clod of earth appeared in Gran’s palm, while a wisp of fire flickered above Djeeta’s fingertips. They rolled their eyes.   
  
“Water, Earth, Fire, Air!”   
  
Gran threw water. Djeeta, air. They facepalmed.   
  
“Water, Earth, Fire, _Air_ !”   
  
A shadow flickered across Gran’s palm, while a bloom of light floated over Djeeta’s. They wailed, pawing at their faces.   
  
“Seriously?!” Djeeta groaned. “What are the odds of us getting a draw three times in a row?!”   
  
“We know each other too well…” Gran huffed.   
  
“What are you kids up to?”   
  
Gran and Djeeta whirled around like two teenagers caught shirking their chores. Rackam was behind them, enjoying a mug of coffee and a morning cigar.   
  
“Oh, you know…” Djeeta said, sheepish. “Just playing Tetra-Elements.”   
  
“I always thought that game would make more sense if there were only three elements,” Rackam mused. “No draws.”   
  
“Even better if there was a way for non-mages to play it,” Gran offered.   
  
“True,” Rackam shrugged. “Anyway. I was thinkin’ about Lyria’s big day today. If you think about it, her anniversary with the crew’s not too far off from mine. I can’t believe it’s been three years already. When we first met, you two were just a pair of rowdy kids.”   
  
“Now we’re rowdy _young adults_ ,” Djeeta beamed.   
  
“Lyria, too,” Rackam continued. “Heh. All grown up, and still as short as ever.”   
  
He took a puff of his cigar, wistful, and blew out the plume of smoke. He glanced at the duo.   
  
“So. What’d you get her?”   
  
They blinked. “What?”   
  
“A gift? For her birthday?”   
  
Gran and Djeeta stared at each other.   
  
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA--”   
  
~*~   
  
“--AAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”   
  
The duo’s wails of dismay ended with a bang as they thudded facedown into the Grandcypher’s dining table. They groaned, pawing at their faces.   
  
“We _forgot_ !” Gran despaired.   
  
“We’re the worst! We’re such fake friends!” Djeeta groaned. She slumped down in her chair, cradling her chin in her arms.   
  
A leaf brushed against her arm. Yggdrasil poked her head out from under the table, chiming in sympathy.   
  
“...Thanks, Yggy,” Djeeta muttered. She pat her on the head.   
  
“You poor dears,” Vira mused, nonchalantly sipping her tea with her pinky out. “All the times the Skydom has been on the brink of destruction, all the calamities that you’ve personally nipped in the bud, and yet this, of all things, is what drives you to act like it’s the end of the world.”   
  
“Love is hard, when you’re young,” Rosetta mused, taking a sip of her own tea. Yggdrasil chimed sagely.   
  
“What are we going to do? Lyria’s party is in, like, six hours,” Gran said.   
  
“Welp,” Djeeta said. She pinched a bead on her bracelet, her armor warping onto her body in spreading blooms of white light. A spear manifested in her hands. “Time for some treasure hunting.”   
  
“Now, don’t fret,” Vira said, beckoning Djeeta back down into her chair. “I don’t think dear little Lyria’s the type to get all worked up over a little social faux pas. I think it’d be best to wait, and put some thought into her gift. Better late than rushed, I think. Love is nothing if not patient.”   
  
“Maybe if we had any idea what to get her,” Gran said. “What does Lyria like that isn’t food?”   
  
“You, maybe?” Rosetta teased.   
  
“Alright, don’t jinx it…”   
  
“What are y’all talkin’ about in here, huh?” Lowain asked. He leaned in the threshold of the kitchen, idly scrubbing at a plate with a dish towel.   
  
“We’re trying to figure out what to get Lyria for her birthday,” Djeeta said.   
  
“Ooh!” Lowain tossed the plate over his shoulder. It clattered into the sink. “I’ve got just the thing!”   
  
“Oh yeah?”   
  
“Okay, here’s what you do. First, you gotta find somewhere private, just the two of you, yeah? Alright. Next: you take your shirt off--”   
  
“Okay, your turn is over,” Vira cut in, rolling her eyes. “You’ll not win any hearts with such a brusque display. Here: allow _me_ to demonstrate how one gives a gift.”   
  
Vira drew her coat back with a flourish. She set a wrapped bundle on the table and primly unfurled it, revealing an exquisitely crafted dagger in an ice-blue sheath.   
  
“Behold!” Vira preened. “I had this commissioned from one of the finest swordsmiths in all of Albion. A main gauche, a parrying dagger for those of you uninitiated in the art of the sword. Not _too_ impressive, in of itself, but as part of a _pair_ ?”   
  
Vira chuckled.   
  
“It’s magnificent. And, if fate will be so kind, it will stay at Katalina’s side and keep her safe from harm, to the edge of the sky and beyond. And so shall I.”   
  
“Aww!” Gran and Djeeta cooed in unison, to their immediate annoyance. They shoved each other, laughing.   
  
“That’s real sweet, Vira, but we’re not exactly made of rupies,” Gran said.   
  
“That’s not a problem,” Rosetta chimed in. “I, myself, have always thought that the most valuable thing you could give someone is your time.”   
  
“Or,” Vira suggested, “you could give your dear Lyria some lavish, extravagant gifts in some big, grand romantic gesture.”   
  
“Just spend some quality time with her,” Rosetta said.   
  
“Buy her a new dress,” Vira countered.   
  
“Have dinner, just the three of you.”   
  
“Perhaps some jewelry?”   
  
“How about a private picnic?”   
  
“Buy her a house!”   
  
“Guys. Guys!” Gran protested, while Djeeta tugged up the collar of her coat to hide her growing blush. “Listen, we appreciate your advice, but we’re not asking Lyria to _marry_ us. Dee and I just turned eighteen, and Lyria… how old is Lyria anyway?”   
  
Yggdrasil chimed, her sprout bouncing insightfully. Rosetta shrugged.   
  
“...It’s a little unclear.”   
  
Gran sighed and scraped his chair back, getting to his feet. He and Djeeta stepped out of the galley, letting the door swing shut on Vira and Rosetta’s spirited debate on gifts versus dates.   
  
Gran took a deep breath, and let it out slow.   
  
“...Okay,” he said at last. “Clock’s ticking. Dee. What are you thinking?”   
  
“You remember that one hill we used to hike up all the time, the one full of monsters?”   
  
“Where we’d race to the top, loser gets tossed in a haystack? Yeah, I remember.”   
  
“I bet if I just go hunt some monsters, I’m bound to find some treasure worth giving Lyria,” Djeeta grinned. “And if I don’t, at least I’ll get a decent workout.”   
  
Gran fondly rolled his eyes. “Like your abs need any more work.”   
  
Djeeta shoved him. “Alright, well what about you?”   
  
Gran tapped his chin, brow furrowed in thought. A smile slowly spread across his face.   
  
“...I have an idea.”   
  
~*~   
  
“Oh, Captain, I would _love_ to help!” Korwa cooed.   
  
Gran’s face lit up. “Really?”   
  
“Of course!” Korwa smiled wistfully, clutching her heart. “Oh, young love… and to think, little Lyria finding her sweetheart at last. I do love a happy ending!”   
  
“Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Gran said, sheepish. “Dee and I still have to tell her.”   
  
“The more the merrier!” Korwa chirped. She set her quill down on her desk and smoothed a hand across the pages of her catalog, filled to bursting with sketched designs. “So, what did you have in mind?”   
  
“...Uh,” Gran blinked. “Well. I, uh, don’t really know anything about fashion. I just wish she didn’t have to wear that same white dress all the time.”   
  
“Oh, I adore that dress,” Korwa sighed dreamily. “So simple, but so elegant. The clouds to Lyria’s blue sky. There’s a beauty to be found in such simplicity. An innocence. But as loathe as I am to tamper with perfection, everyone, everywhere, could _always_ use a new look. Perhaps I could design something for Lyria with a bit more… pizzazz.”   
  
Gran found himself examining Korwa’s own ensemble-- a striking, glamorous, backless white gown with gold trim, asymmetrical black-and-white stockings, long white opera gloves and a sash across her shoulders. “Pizzazz” was one word for it. “Impossibly fancy” was another.   
  
“Now, then,” Korwa said, placing a fresh sheet of parchment on her drawing board. “How about a feather motif for our little angel, hm?”   
  
“You _do_ like those,” Gran murmured, distracted, his gaze lingering on the feathers framing Korwa’s skirt.   
  
“My eyes are up here, darling,” Korwa teased. “Now, I can have a few preliminary designs done in no time, but I’ll still need to take Lyria’s measurements. Do you think you could get her back here for a fitting?”   
  
Gran blinked. “Oh. Uh. I was sort of hoping I could keep this a surprise…”   
  
“No piece of mine is going to leave this workshop without being properly tailored,” Korwa tutted. “I suppose I could simply ask her to stop by myself, but I’m sure she’ll suspect someone’s getting her some new clothes, if not who, specifically. When did you need this commission ready?”   
  
Gran cleared his throat, awkward. “Um. Tonight?”   
  
Korwa stared at him. Her lips curled into a sympathetic smile.   
  
“...Oh, honey. I’m a master of the loom, but I’m no miracle worker. You can’t rush art. And dear Lyria deserves a masterpiece, wouldn’t you agree?”   
  
“Yeah…” Gran murmured. “She really does. I’m sorry. I shoulda figured this was too short notice…”   
  
“Oh, don’t look so glum. There’s nothing less fashionable than a frown,” Korwa cooed. She patted the chair beside her. “Come here. We’re both artists, aren’t we? Come sit at my desk, and together, I’m sure we’ll think of something.”   
  
Gran hesitated, before sinking into the offered chair with a sigh.   
  
“...Thanks, Korwa,” Gran blew his hair out of his eyes. “Oh, man. I wonder if Dee’s had any better luck.”   
  
~*~   
  
Djeeta burst through the trees, a shadow at her heels. She leapt into the air, sunlight gleaming off her pearl white armor and gold-trimmed coat. Tendrils of shadow rose out of the trees and shot after her like arrows of blackest night.   
  
Djeeta somersaulted, artfully curling her body around the spears of elemental darkness. She landed on her feet, facing down her foe as it emerged from the treeline-- a beast shrouded in an aura of hellish violet smoke, only seen as a silhouette with a fiery red grin. More thorns shot out of the smoke and raced towards Djeeta’s heart. They clashed against her spear as she swatted them aside, golden light gathering along the blade.   
  
Djeeta thrust her spear forward, and a beam of brilliant light erupted from her grasp and left a smouldering six-inch hole through the monster’s chest. It gurgled and died, crumbling into ash and dust.   
  
In sharp contrast to her prior elegance, Djeeta brusquely stuck her spear tip-down in the dirt and started rummaging through the still-smouldering pile of ashes with her bare hands. She rose to her feet with a sigh, wiping her hands on her coat and leaving streaks of gray on the once-immaculate white.   
  
“Orbs again,” Djeeta grumbled, shaking her head. “And after I did that sweet jump, too.”   
  
“At least you looked good,” someone said.   
  
“Yeah, at least I looked good…” Djeeta echoed, before glancing around in confusion.   
  
There was a parrot perched on her spear.   
  
Djeeta yelped in surprise. The parrot squawked, before flying across the clearing and settling on a certain harvin’s arm.   
  
“Djeeta?” Sierokarte wondered, emerging from the treeline. Gotle, her parrot, flapped his wings on her arm.   
  
“Siero!” Djeeta grinned. “What are you doing here?”   
  
“Oh, you know, busy, busy, busy,” Siero chortled. “What are _you_ doing here?”   
  
“Treasure hunting. If you can call this ‘treasure’,” Djeeta said dryly. She held up a handful of elemental orbs-- the remnants of a monster’s magic, crystallized into something almost like beads. Pretty, certainly, but oh-so-common in a place so suffused with magic as Phantagrande.   
  
“Oh! What’s the occasion?” Siero asked.   
  
“It’s Lyria’s birthday,” Djeeta said, pulling Siero into a conspiratorial huddle. “We’ve known each other for three years, and uh, just between you and me--”   
  
“--and Gotle,” Siero cut in.   
  
“Sure. Just between the three of us, I, um… I really, really like her.”   
  
Siero gasped and clutched her heart. “Ah, young love! Oh, this brings back memories of _my_ first love confession. But that was, oh, decades ago…”   
  
Djeeta blinked, baffled. “Wait, what? How old are you?”   
  
Siero chortled, fluffing her hair. “I’m a harvin, dear. We age like fine wine.”   
  
_That explains the parrot, the sweater, and the tiny mom energy_ , Djeeta thought. She shook her head. “Listen, Siero, the point is, the whole Grandcypher’s throwing a big party for Lyria tonight. I’m gonna tell her that I like her, but I can’t do it empty-handed. Do you have anything nice you’d be willing to part with for…”   
  
Djeeta rummaged through her pockets.   
  
“...some elemental orbs, a few hundred rupies, and an old quill pen?”   
  
Siero fidgeted. “Oh, honey. Well…”   
  
“No no no, wait!” Djeeta cut in. “I’ve got more stuff. I’ve got way more stuff. Do you want rupies? Do you want-- do you want some weapons? Some armor? Some medals? I will give you my whole half of the Grandcypher’s inventory and an I.O.U. for Gran’s half if it means getting Lyria something super special. Please, Siero? What do you say, Miss Knickknack Shack? Because I could really, really use a knickknack.”   
  
“Oh, dear, you know it drives me crazy when you pronounce the silent k’s like that,” Siero winced. “And I’m afraid the money’s not the problem. Normally I’d be more than willing to set up a trade, but I don’t have any of my stock with me here on Zinkenstill.”   
  
Siero set her backpack on the ground with a thump and started rifling through.   
  
“I _do_ , however, have a catalog of all my wares, a ship-to-home delivery form, and service contracts with a number of skyfarer courier services, so if you know what you’d like to order, we can have it ready for you in three-to-five business days!” Siero beamed.   
  
Djeeta smiled with a weary fondness. “...Sorry, Siero. But I kinda need it by tonight.”   
  
“Ah,” Siero tutted from behind a sheaf of papers. She took off her reading glasses and let them dangle from a chain around her neck. “Well, in that case, I don’t believe I can help you. But they might!”   
  
Djeeta looked where Siero was pointing. Further down the clearing, Rosetta was laying on the grass and enjoying the weather while Yggdrasil lingered nearby, chiming melodically.   
  
“...Is she talking to that tree?” Gotle squawked.   
  
“Yeah, I don’t know if they can help me,” Djeeta muttered. She sighed, defeated. “...Oh, well. I wonder if Gran’s having any better luck than I am…”   
  
Djeeta took a deep breath, and let it out slow. She glanced at Siero sidelong.   
  
“So, um. What exactly where you working on when I bumped into you!”   
  
Siero’s face lit up. “I’m glad you asked!”   
  
Gotle flew off of Siero’s arms and found a new perch in a tree. Siero turned and opened her arms, gesturing to the clearing in Zinkenstill’s woods they were standing in.   
  
“I was _location scouting_ !” Siero announced proudly. “Business has been booming over in Port Breeze. I thought, why not bring the Knickknack Shack out to the country? I can broaden the horizons, not just of my clientele but my wares!”   
  
“Picture it,” Siero grinned, forming a picture frame with her hands. “The Knickknack Shack, Zinkenstill branch, bringing a taste of the big city along with some rustic rural charm. I have big plans, big plans, I tell you! This village is about to have the finest inn and general store it’s ever seen! Come to the Knickknack Shack, home of the world famous Knickknack Stack! No finer pancakes in all the skydom! And a courier service next door! Need a package delivered? Come to the Knickknack Shack, and we’ll send it across the skydom in a Knickknack Sack! Feeling hungry? Then stop on by for a Knickknack Snack!”   
  
“She can do this all day,” Gotle squawked.   
  
“I bet she could,” Djeeta muttered, smiling. “Maybe I should go talk to Rosie and Yggy, after all…”   
  
~*~   
  
Gran set his quill back in its holder and blew out a deep breath.   
  
“Well… that’s as good as it’s gonna get,” Gran muttered.   
  
“You surprise me, Captain,” Korwa mused, as Gran sat back to let the ink dry. “Compared to your sister--”   
  
“Dee’s my best friend, not my sister, but I can see where you’d get that impression,” Gran cut in.   
  
“Well, compared to your co-captain, you’re the quiet, sensitive, artsy type,” Korwa continued, “and yet, hidden beneath your frankly unflattering mage robes, you’ve got quite the physique. Where in the skies did you get those muscles?”   
  
“Fighting, I guess,” Gran shrugged.   
  
“And before you were a skyfarer?”   
  
“Farming,” Gran said dryly. He blinked. “...Do you really think my robe’s unflattering?”   
  
“Let’s just say, if you’re in the market for some new clothes, you know where to find me,” Korwa smiled.   
  
“Thanks,” Gran chuckled. He carefully rolled up the sheet of parchment and tucked it safely away in a scroll tube. He turned towards the door of Korwa’s workshop, and took a deep breath.   
  
“Okay,” Gran said. “Here we go…”   
  
~*~   
  
Sunset, and Lyria’s birthday party was in full swing.   
  
It was exactly the sort of huge celebration that a sleepy town like Zinkenstill only had every once in a blue moon. The co-captains’ old farm had plenty of room to hold the ever-growing crew of the Grandcypher. Everyone was either sprawled out on wooden benches or out on the grass, eating, chatting, laughing. Everyone, that is, except the co-captains themselves, who were standing apart from the festivities on a hill overlooking their house.   
  
“Okay,” Gran said, shaking out his arms. “How do I look?”   
  
Djeeta shrugged. “Fine?”   
  
“Are you sure? Korwa said I was unfashionable.”   
  
“None of us are fashionable compared to Korwa,” Djeeta said. “Relax. Here she comes.”   
  
Lyria was still finishing up her rounds. As the guest of honor, everyone on the crew was stopping her to wish her well. Already, Katalina and Vyrn had been pulled away from her side-- Katalina by Vira, naturally, and Vyrn by a strategically placed pitcher of apple cider. Lyria had already seen the duo waiting for her-- she just had to get up the hill, which was easier said than done when literally everyone wanted to wish her a happy birthday. It was exhausting, but in the best way.   
  
“Hey,” Gran said softly.   
  
“What’s up?” Djeeta asked.   
  
Gran blew out a breath. “Listen, Dee… I just wanted to be sure. No matter what happens tonight, with Lyria… we’ll… we’ll still be friends, right?”   
  
Djeeta met his eyes, somber. She reached down and took his hand.   
  
“...I thought we were more than friends, Gran.”   
  
Gran made a face. “What?”   
  
“We’re _soulmates_ ,” Djeeta said, cheeky. Gran rolled his eyes and shoved her away.   
  
There was a shout at the base of the hill, and Lyria came running. Somehow, after saying ‘thank you’ to each and every one of the dozens of other crew members aboard the Grandcypher, she still had enough air in her lungs to run squealing up a hill and throw herself into her best friends’ arms. The trio thudded down onto the grass, laughing. Lyria reached over and ruffled Gran’s hair.   
  
“Your hair’s sticking up,” she said, smiling.   
  
“Rosetta did her best,” Gran chuckled, and gave Lyria’s shoulder a squeeze.   
  
“How are you enjoying the party so far?” Djeeta asked.   
  
“Honestly, it’s kinda overwhelming,” Lyria laughed. “I didn’t know we knew so many people! But I’m not complaining. I have so many more friends now than I ever imagined I would. And…”   
  
Lyria reached out, took Gran and Djeeta’s hands in hers, and squeezed.   
  
“I saved the best for last,” she chirped.   
  
Djeeta beamed. She glanced over Lyria’s shoulder, and met Gran’s eyes. He nodded.   
  
“Lyria,” she began. “I, um… I got something for you.”   
  
Lyria sat up, intrigued, as Djeeta retrieved a bundle from her coat, wrapped in cloth.   
  
“I did get you another gift,” Djeeta explained, “so think of this as part one, I guess. The other one just won’t be here for a little while.”   
  
“How long?” Gran asked.   
  
“Three-to-five business days,” Djeeta muttered. “But, um… here, Lyria. This is for you.”   
  
Lyria unfurled the bundled cloth. She gasped, a hand over her mouth, and lifted out an elegant headband seemingly made of braided wood.   
  
“It’s so pretty!” Lyria cooed. She darted forward, throwing her arms around Djeeta’s neck.   
  
Djeeta sighed dreamily into Lyria’s embrace, holding her close. She drew back, the two of them sharing warm smiles, before Djeeta playfully leaned in and bonked her forehead against hers.   
  
“Your hair’s always getting in your face, so…” Djeeta smiled, reaching up and sliding the headband into Lyria’s hair. “And that’s not all. There’s a surprise, too. Close your eyes.”   
  
Lyria nodded, and closed her eyes. Djeeta whispered an invocation under her breath, her hands lingering by Lyria’s temples. Soft green light shone at her fingertips and streamed into the headband, suffusing it with a warm, earthen glow.   
  
They waited for a moment. Slowly, the glow faded.   
  
“Can I look now?” Lyria asked.   
  
“Did it work?” Gran wondered.   
  
“Um.” Djeeta furrowed her brow, confused. “I… don’t know. Well, um… I’m sorry, Lyria. I always was better at Light than Earth…”   
  
“No, no, don’t apologize!” Lyria cut in. She pulled Djeeta into another hug.   
  
“I love it,” Lyria smiled into Djeeta’s neck. “I love you.”   
  
“I--” Djeeta squeaked. She clapped a hand over her mouth, mortified.   
  
“I got something for you guys, too!” Lyria pushed on, leaving Djeeta to blush into her hands. She slipped her bag off her shoulder and retrieved a trio of packages, handing one each to Gran and Djeeta.   
  
“Lyria, you didn’t have to get us anything,” Gran insisted. “Today is for you.”   
  
“I’m nothing without you two,” Lyria said sweetly, her cheeks pink. “Go ahead, open them!”   
  
Out of the packages came a trio of scarves, each in a rich purple with white embroidery. Lyria laughed, pulling on her own scarf-- it was a little too big, so if she ducked her head she could hide her mouth and nose under the hem, leaving only her eyes peeking out. Djeeta pulled up her scarf to better hide the blush spreading across her face. Gran, more composed, still couldn’t help the big, dopey smile curling across his lips.   
  
“Now we match!” Lyria squealed. “I asked Korwa if she had any spare fabric I could use. There’s no dress-making magic in these, but I did the embroidery myself! I know you like to wear blue, Gran, and Djeeta, you like to wear red. So I got us the only color that’d look good on all three of us!”   
  
“Oh, Lyria…!” Djeeta whined, overcome with cuteness. Gran smiled, wearing his scarf with pride.   
  
“Thank you, Lyria,” he said. “They look great.”   
  
“ _We_ look great!” Lyria grinned.   
  
“Well, Dee’s all red…” Gran teased.   
  
“Whatever!” Djeeta huffed. “Don’t _you_ have something to give Lyria, too?”   
  
“Another gift?” Lyria gasped.   
  
“Oh, just wait until you see the pile of gifts waiting back on the Grandcypher,” Djeeta said wryly.   
  
“Alright, Lyria,” Gran said, clapping his hands. “First off: I have a gift coming for you, but it won’t be ready for a little while. That, you can look forward to in the future. But for tonight, I, um… I have something a little different.”   
  
Gran fidgeted, toying with the class beads on his wrist.   
  
“I, um… I wasn’t able to find a gift, or buy you a gift, so… I made you one.”   
  
There was a flash of light, and a harp appeared in Gran’s grasp.   
  
“Or, rather… I wrote you one,” Gran said, sheepish.   
  
Lyria squealed, glancing between Gran and Djeeta as if to wonder if Djeeta knew about this. Djeeta just shook her head fondly as Lyria practically bounced in her seat.   
  
Gran cleared his throat. “I, um. I haven’t played in a while, so… whatever. Here goes.”   
  
He took a deep breath, and strummed his harp.   
  
_“Lyria, Lyria_ _  
_ _You’re so very dear-ia_ _  
_ _Can’t you see-ria how we adore you?_ _  
_ _  
_ _Lyria, Lyria_ _  
_ _It’s no mysteria_ _  
_ _But just in case it just wasn’t clear-ia_ _  
_ _  
_ _Let me tell you, Lyria_ _  
_ _There’s nowhere I’d rather be-ria_ _  
_ _Than right now, right here-ia_ _  
_ _With you.”_ _  
_ _  
_ The last few chords faded back into the chattering of the party at the bottom of the hill. Lyria stared at Gran, her eyes wide. Djeeta just raised an eyebrow.   
  
“I know, I know,” Gran said, smiling. “It needs a chorus.”   
  
Lyria pounced and pulled Gran into a bruising hug. Gran sighed into her embrace, reaching up and smoothing her hair against her scalp. When she looked up at him, her eyes were wet, but she was smiling so bright.   
  
The sun dipped beneath the horizon, painting the night sky in shades of maroon, navy, and violet. Somewhere below them, Io squealed in triumph-- and sent the first of the evening’s fireworks whistling up into the heavens.   
  
Lyria bounced in her seat, pointing at every bloom of blue and red that lit up the night sky. Gran and Djeeta watched the awe on her face, warmth blossoming in their chests. Lyria raised her arms above her head and stretched, haloed in the fireworks bursting above her. She lay back in the grass, and the duo followed her, Djeeta’s arm curled around her waist, Gran’s bicep as a pillow. Lyria settled in between them and sighed, content, taking their hands in her own and lacing their fingers together.   
  
“...You know, you two are, like, my best friends?” Lyria murmured.   
  
Djeeta chuckled. “We know.”   
  
“I know you know,” Lyria giggled. “But I just want to say it. And keep saying it. So you-- and I-- will always remember.”   
  
Lyria squeezed their hands, gazing up at the endless sky.   
  
“I love you,” she whispered. She smiled, and swiped an arm across her eyes. “Don’t you ever forget it.”   
  
The co-captains felt like their hearts were fit to burst. They cuddled in closer, framed in the brilliant light of fireworks overhead-- until Gran jumped back with a yelp.   
  
“Oh! Oh! Lyria!”   
  
“What? What’s wrong?” Lyria gasped, clutching at her head.   
  
“Look at your headband!” Gran grinned.   
  
Lyria reached up to Djeeta’s gift-- a headband of braided wood from the forests of Lumacie. And, thanks to the earth magic coursing through the wood, a flower had poked its way out of the braid and begun to bloom. A stargazer lily, in white and violet, perfect for a girl whose eyes were ever skyward. Lyria turned to Djeeta, giddy.   
  
“You did it!” Lyria gushed. “That was the surprise!”   
  
“Happy birthday, Lyria,” Djeeta smiled. “We love you.”   
  
The trio held each other on the hill overlooking the old farmstead, as fireworks bloomed overhead and joyful voices resounded below.   
  
Zinkenstill seemed like a sleepy little hometown for the co-captains of the Grandcypher, too small to hold what their legend would become on their years-long journey to the edge of the sky. But the truth is, some of the greatest things in life start out small. Beyond those humble beginnings, past the fields and the hills and the woods…   
  
Beyond the borders, there’s so much room to grow.   
  
Out there, the sky is endless. And so is love.   
  
~*~


End file.
